Guizhou publishes first encyclopedia of Tujia people

The launching ceremony of the Guizhou Tujia Encyclopedia was held in Guiyang, capital city of Guizhou province, on March 31.

Published by Guizhou Ethnic Publishing House last October, the encyclopedia was compiled by Guizhou Tujia Research Association over a 10 year period. The encyclopedia has 16 chapters and 1.25 million words. It deals mainly with the social history, geographical environment, the revolutionary base area of Eastern Guizhou Special Economic Zone, the regional autonomy of ethnic minorities, philosophy and social ethics, economy, ancient towns and villages, education, culture, religion and religious beliefs, traditional sports, medicine, customs, cultural relics, historic sites and important people of the Tujia ethnic group.

Living in the Wuling Mountains, a mountain range located in central China, the Tujia ethnic group has a long history and unique culture. The ancestors of the Tujia ethnic group can be traced back to the Ba people of the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-256 BC). Over a long period of time, they gradually developed a specific language, unique modes of production and living, as well as cultural customs. 

Guizhou Tujia Encyclopedia is the first encyclopedia of the Tujia ethnic group in China. [Photo/www.gog.cn]

According to Chen Ruchang, president of the Guizhou Tujia Research Association, the encyclopedia is another Tujia historical document published after Guizhou Tujia Cultural View. It is also the first encyclopedia of the Tujia ethnic group across China.

Gan Zhengshu, former editor-in-chief of Guizhou Daily Newspaper Group, gave high praise to the encyclopedia. "The encyclopedia is a cultural business card for outsiders to learn about the Tujia ethic group in Guizhou. It plays an important role in the cultural and social construction in the Tujia area of Guizhou," he said.

Chen Guoan, chief editor of Guizhou Tujia Encyclopedia, said that the encyclopedia is a comprehensive work reflecting the Tujia ethnic group in an all-round way. It plays a positive role in promoting the "cultivation of the common consciousness of the Chinese nation."

Founded in the 1990s, the Guizhou Tujia Research Association attracted a large number of scholars on Tujia ethnic culture. Over the past 30 years, they published nearly 100 monographs and wrote hundreds of papers. Many of their works have won awards, making great achievements in the research of the Tujia ethnic group.

Zhao Yandi contributed to this story